1. The Massacre of Innocents

2. History
History
The painting portrays the killing of all the small boy children in Bethlehem.
This is from the New Testament “Matthew 2:16-18
King Herod ordered the massacre of all baby boys in Bethlehem after learning about the birth of a boy who would one day be King of the Jews and take his place.

3. Poussin & Guido Reni
Poussin was a French painter who mostly worked in Rome.
The Massacre of the Innocents shows him experimenting with baroque style.
Reni was criticized for his painting of the Massacre of the Innocents because his was thought to be to violent, and people did not like the little angels at the top of such a violent picture.

4. Significance of artwork
The spectator is drawn into the horrible scene by the woman in the center. She catches the eye by looking directly at us. (poussin)

5. Purpose Concerning Asher Lev
Jacob Kahn assigned this painting to Asher so that he could realize, entering the world of art would cause him to lose all of his innocence.
Kahn tells Asher to study the story of the Massacre of the Innocents from the New Testament and the painting of the story by Guido Reni. He emphasizes to Asher that he is asking him to read from "The bible of the goyim."
Jacob wants to make sure that Asher knows what he is getting himself into.

6. Work’s Cited
Lowell, Styer “ Oil Reproduction on Canvas” CWP library